Washing machine



June 112, 11923. I

t w. H. THOMPSON WASHING MACHINE Filed May 11. 1922 of the inventionrelatin ifatented June 12, T9235.

WILLIAM H.' THOMPSON, OF BURBANK, OHIO.

WASHING MACHINE.

Application filed may 11, 1922. Serial No. 560,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ,1, WILLIAM H. THOMP- SON a citizen of the UnitedStates, residin at l3urbank, in the county of Wayne an State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in washing machines, the presentembodiment more particularly to that class or type in w ich a washingcylinformation is rotatably mounted der of open fixed body or casingforming in a relatively a suitable receptacle for the washing orcleansing liquid within which the cylinder is adapted to rotate. Theinvention further relates to that class or type in which suitablemovable plunger members are provided with vacuum creating devices orcups adapted to move against and press the clothes to be washed and thenmove away from the same to create a part1al vacuum or suction action,the improved washer being adapted to combine the functio of theordinarycylinder washer with thos of .the ordinary clothes pounder type.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a generally improvedwashing machine of the type or class indicated which will be exceedinglysimple'in construction, cheap of manufacture and efficient in use. Astill further and very important object is the provision of oppositelyarranged vacuum creating pistons in a washing cylinder adapted to besimultaneously moved toward and from each other to successively pressand create a partial 'vacuum in the inter- E Wit the above mentioned andother ends posed clothes batchwithin the washing cylinder with eachcomplete stroke or reciprocation of the pistons or plungers.

A still further object isgthe provision of improved means forsimultaneously driving or rotatin the washing-cylinder and recip rocatint' e pistons during the retationjof such 0 der.

in view, the invention consists in the no'vl construction, arrangementand combination of parts, hereinafter described, illiistrated in 'one ofits embodiments in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointedout in the ap endedclaimsj eferr'ing to the-drawings, forming a part of'this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, ofa washing machine constructed in accordance with this 1nven tion, theclothes pressing and vacuum creating pistons being at their innermostpositlons or the inner ends of their inward working strokes preparatoryto being moved in an opposite direction or away from each other forproducing a partial vacuum or suction in the interposed clothes in thewashing cylinder.

Fig.

2, an enlar ed central longitudinal sectional view of t e washingcylinder, de-

tached, the pistons being in their extreme outward positions or ends oftheir vacuum creating working strokes.

F 1g.- 3, a'fragmentary cross sectional View of the washing cylinder,.some of the cylinder forming slats being remov'ed-for the purpose ofclearer illustration of the parts.

Fig. 4;, a similar view of one of the reciprocatory clothes pressing andvacuum creat- 1ng pistons or heads, detached from the washing cylinder.

Fig. 5, a plan view of the washing cylinder door or closure section,detached. Flg. 6, an enlarged plan view, partly in sectiornof one of thepiston stems connecting a'nd actuating yokes andthe rotary pistonactuatin or driving member therefor, the dotted lines indicating therelative position of the parts in the extreme opposite end of theworking stroke or position thereof.

Similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout allthefigures of the drawings.

The mproved machine comprises a suitablecasing or housing 1, forming areceptacle for the washing liquid and within which the washin I cylinderof. open formation is 'adapte to rotate, as hereinafter referred to.

or housing 1, is mounted on a The casin frame or support the lattersuitable being provided with suitable support ing legs or columns 1*.The top of the relatively fixed casing or housing 1 is provided w'th asuitable opening adapt- 4 ed to be opene and closed throu h asuitabledoor or closure member 1*, a ording ac cess-to the interior ofthe washing cylinder, as hereinafter referred to. 1 p

The washing cylinder is of open formation, the outer periphery, in thepresent instance, being made up of a pluralityof suiting provided withtrunnions 2", rotatably mounted in suitable bearmgopenings in the ablyspaced slats or strips 2, connected at' their ends to cylinder heads 2',the latter be-' are casing or housing ends or heads 1. The outshown mostclearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

As a means of driving or rotating the washing cylinder one of thetrunnions 2 is provided with a gear wheel 3, meshing with a pinion 4,carried on a power shaft 5, the.

latter, in the present instance; being pro vided with a sprocket wheel,adapted to .be driven by means of a sprocket chain 6, leading to asprocket wheel on a motor shaft 7',

' of a motor 8.

washing machine of this type the functions of the washer of the clothesof the washing cylinder, said pistons or pounder type, and particularlyas a means of PI'OVldlIlg vacuum or suction creatlng devices in opposedrelation and engaging.

the'batch of clothes on opposite sides as ro tatedwithin the washingcylinder, the latter is provided with longitudinally movable vacuumcreating pistons or plunger heads. 9, movable longitudinally of the axis'.heads 9 being provided with suitable vacuum or suction creatingdevices adapted to engage opposite portions, of the clothes batch whenmoved inwardly toward each other and to create a partial 'vacuum when.

moved outwardly away from each other.

vin opposed relation to each other.

In the present instance, such" vacuum or suctlon creating devices are 1nthe specific form of funnel or cup shaped members 9,.

having their open or flaring ends extending toward each other andpreferably arranged The smaller ends of the cup members 9f" are mountedin suitable openings in the plunger terposed batch of clothes.

As a means of limiting the outward or open movement of the valves 9*,the valve I stems 9 may be provided with stop projections 9, adapted toengage with the neck portions of the cups as the latter are moved towardeach other whereby the cups are open in operation of engaging andpressing msaaea the opposite portions of the clothes batch. The clothespressing and vacuum creating pistons 9 and cups 9 are spaced apart asuitable distance to provide an intermediate clothes washiichamber 10,and as a means .of simultaneously reciprocating the pistons- 9, thelatter are provided with piston stems 9, extending through suitableopenings 2, in the trunnions 2 (the latter being preferably of tubularformation as shown), the

-outer ends of the piston stems 9 preferably terminating in heads 9,'detachably and rotatably mounted in bearing sockets 11, of yokemembers 11, the sockets 11 being closed by means of threaded caps ll".As a means of preventing the rotation of the yoke members 11, the latterare provided with guide stems 11, extending through guide or bearingheads 12*, of bearing brackets 12, extending outwardly from the ends ofthe washer supporting frame, the.

gearing for actuating the pistons and pisi ton stems being preferablyenclosed in a .As a means of combining with the ordlnary washingcylinder function of the ordina protecting casing 13, at each end, asshown most clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As the piston stemconnecting and actuating yokes and the gearing mechanism therefor arealike and arranged'inopposed relation to each other in the end casings13,-one set of yoke and gear mechanism need onlybe shown and described.

Asa means of actuating each yoke 11 and the connected pistonssimultaneously with the rotation of the washing cylinder, each bracket12 is provided with a vertical driving shaft .14, carried in a.horizontal bracket 12*, at its top, each shaft 14 being provided with anarm 14*, adapted to rotate within the yoke 11 and to reciprocate thelatter as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Each shaft 14 receives its motion from abevel gear 15, meshing with asecond bevel gear 16, on the adjacent. end of the drivin shaft 5. Theguide stem 11 is provide with a key or spline 11 adapted to'operate in aguide recess in the adjacent hearing head 12. of the bearing bracket 12.

The term vacuum as used herein is a relative term meaning a partialvacuum and the term vacuum is used synonymously with the term suctionand such term as used in the appended claims are to be construed andtreated accordin l 1 Having thus described one o tlie embodiments of myinvention, without having at-v tempted to'set forth all the forms inwhich it may be made, or all the modes of its use, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1.- In a washing machine, a cylinder pro vided with reciprocatorypistonheads having valved cups extending toward each other and adaptedto be moved toward and from eachother as the cylinder is rotated. 2. Ina washing machine, in combination ineaaee with a washing cylinder ofopen formation including heads provided with hearing elements; ofpistons having valved vacuum creating cups movable toward and from eachother. longitudinally of said cylinder, and means for reciprocating saidpistons.

3. A washing machine, comprising a casing, a washing cylinder of openformation rotatably mounted therein, piston heads in said. cylindermovable longitudinally therein toward and from each other, vacuumcreating devices carried by said pistons and adapted to engage theclothes to be washed as moved toward each other and to create suctiontherein as moved from each other as the cylinder is rotated, means forrotating said cylinder in said casing, and means for simultaneouslymoving said piston heads toward and from each other as the c linder isrotated.

d. n a washing machine, a support including a ceptacle, a cylinder insaid receptacle ro vided with hearing elements eaten ing through saidhousing, clothes pressing and vacuum creating pistons in said cylinderadapted to simultaneously move toward and from each other forming anintervening clothes washing chamber, said pistons being provided withpiston stems extending through said-bearing elements, a gear wheel onone of said'bearing elements for rotating said cylinder, a power shaftprovided with a pinion meshing with said gear wheel, and gearing betweensaid power shaft and said piston stems for reciprocating the latter andsaid pistons in synchronous relation.

'w lln testimony whereof l have aihxed my signature.

WILLIAM no Thomson,

housing forming a washing re

